(NewsNation) — A new study says that childhood abuse and or neglect can alter a person’s brain chemistry, leading to conditions like depression and schizophrenia later in life.

The study by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) identified stress hormones as strong inducers of astrocyte-mediated synapse phagocytosis. Or, in other, words: childhood trauma can permanently alter the brain.

“Clinical data have previously shown that high levels of stress can lead to various mental diseases, but the exact mechanism has been unknown. The results of this research therefore are expected to be widely applied to the prevention and treatment of such diseases,” said researchers.

A recent study out of Harvard University found that half of the U.S. population will experience a mental illness by the age of 75.

The most common mental illnesses among men were substance use disorders, depression and specific phobias.

Among women, the most common illnesses were specific phobias and depression, along with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Harvard researchers said the findings should be used to help develop public health interventions in hopes of making it easier to identify illnesses in adolescence when they are likely to first appear and to connect people with treatment resources.

NewsNation writer Steph Whiteside contributed to this report.